Note that in the table above, asterisks are shown to indicate that data for Dioxin and Dioxin-likecompounds in grams (as required by EPA) was reported by the facility. EPA has converted thesedata into pounds and included them in the table totals (in pounds). Please refer to the Dioxin andDioxin-like compounds table below for reported amounts of Dioxin and Dioxin-like compoundsin grams. Grams can be converted to pounds by multiplying by 0.002205.)*************************************************************

Under existing federal pollution control laws, the American people arekept in the dark about the vast majority of toxic pollution spewedinto the environment by U.S. industry. Even the most comprehensivetoxic pollution reporting system in the nation, the Toxics Release Inventory(TRI), accounts for only about 5 percent of all toxic pollution of theenvironment each year (GAO 1991, EPA 1996c).

Thus, if 255 million pounds = 5% - then 100% of hazardouschemicals discharged to POTWs in 2006 would be over 5.1 BILLION POUNDS . . . . .

If 2.7 million pounds = 5% of toxic metals -- then 100% of toxicmetals discharged to POTWs in 2006 would be over 54 million pounds . . . .

NOTE - THERE ARE ONLY 519 CHEMICALS ON THIS EPA TRI LIST OF CHEMICALs (including both metals and non-metals) MONITORED FOR DISCHARGES to POTWSa tiny fraction of the over 93,000 chemicals EPA acknowledgesare in commerce today . . . . .

“SECTION 3. CERTIFICATION (Important: Read and sign after completing all form sections.)I hereby certify that to the best of my knowledge and belief, for each toxic chemical listed in the statement, the annual reportable amount as defined in 40 CFR372.27 (a), did not exceed 500 pounds for this reporting year and that the chemical was manufactured, processed, or otherwise used in an amount not exceeding 1million pounds during this reporting year. “

AND FEDERAL LAW permits every business and industry in the United States to dump 33 pounds of hazardous wastes into public sewers every month with no reporting requirements [ 40CFR 403.12)P)(2) ] and this same law provides for only a one time reporting if acutely hazardous wastes, or more than 33 pounds of hazardous wastes, are dumped into the public sewers;

None of the toxic pollutants excluded from reporting by Form A and excluded from reporting by the “33 pound” federal law, are included in the Toxics Release Inventory.

Also missing from US EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory of chemical discharges to public sewers (and air, land and surface waters), are the vast majority of HPVs – High production volume chemicals in US commerce today . . .

High production volume chemicals have annual production and/or importation volumes above 1 million pounds. In the U.S., about 3,300 chemicals (excluding polymers) out of approximately 70,000 chemicals in commerce are used in such substantial quantities. While there are no authoritative estimates of the amount of total chemical use in the U.S., 4.4 to 7.1 trillion pounds of HPV chemicals are produced/imported annually.

And the US EPA does not require any testing for the drugs and pharmaceuticals which are showing up around the country in drinking water and surface waters from sewage. The wastewater treatment process partitions the drugs and pharmaceuticals between the sewage effluent discharged to surface waters and the sewage sludge “biosolids” spread on land.